Break In
by xBloomStarx
Summary: A year has passed, and Sparx has been revived. However, the princess who once thought having her planet and parents back would be the only way to ensure her happiness has reached an impasse. She feels nothing, until the wizard she shunned comes back into her life, and Bloom must make the ultimate choice: the birth parents she's always dreamed of or Baltor? Sequel to Broken Pieces.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Bloom!"

My eyes shot open at the sound of Stella's piercing voice. I was immediately met with the sight of a snowy Gardenia, barely visible through the foggy bus window. The normally bright and sunny city was grey and dull in the late afternoon that day. It was rare weather for my hometown on Earth, but it wasn't unheard of. Although, this much snow was something that was sure to be gossiped about for weeks.

Turning my gaze towards the shriek that had pulled me from my cat nap, I was met with an annoyed yet bewildered expression on the face of none other than the Princess of Solaria.

"Yes, Your Highness?" I tiredly drawled, struggling to fight back the yawn pulling at my cheeks.

"Flora's over here prepping me for some mysterious huge news that you're apparently about to tell me, and you're over there sleeping!" she shouted. "Wake up and tell me what it is already!"

"Give her some slack, Stel." The nature fairy defended from her seat next to me. "After everything that's happened over the past few months I think she's earned a nap. It's been crazy lately."

Crazy was a massive understatement.

I don't know where Baltor had found the book on Obsidian, but I was thankful he had. The information within its pages had been the key to discovering where my birth parents were imprisoned. Of course, the more primitive information such as how to get to the Dark Realm was coded with an other-worldly encryption.

Tecna and I spent weeks in the restricted section of Alfea's library, scanning through every book we could get our hands on in order to crack the cipher. I kicked myself every day that passed, knowing deep down that there was one person I'd pushed away who most likely could've cracked it without a second glance. But, luckily, with the help of Timmy and (amazingly) Sky, we finally managed to decipher the text. Once we had the coordinates, our entire group flew off to Obsidian.

The majority of us never made it to the battle. The Ancestresses had somehow anticipated our arrival, launching a sneak attack the moment we landed on the realm's dead soil. They'd polluted the air with a mixture of their dark magic, poisoning it with a spell that played on our fears. The longer we were there, the more it began to take its toll on us. Stella was robbed of her sight; Musa's hearing was deafened; Riven turned Dark; water built up in Layla's lungs. It was brutal to watch.

Either to my luck or dismay, their spell had no effect on me. I knew that it must have been done so on purpose, and that they were singling me out for the one-on-three battle they wanted. And that pissed my dark half off to no end. I wanted to stay and help my friends, but _she_ wanted blood.

Needless to say, the Ancestresses were more than unhappy to see me. I wasn't sure just how they knew, but they used my ended association with Baltor to their advantage. In fact, if it wasn't for Sky showing up to aide me, then I most likely would've been dead. With Sky's help, I managed to build up enough power to finally destroy the Ancestresses and the realm of Obsidian, releasing all of the imprisoned population of Sparx –including my birth parents, Oritel and Miriam.

I was ecstatic. There were no words to describe how elated I was to finally achieve my dream of finding them. The fantasy that my birth parents could possibly be alive was now a reality. After nineteen years, Oritel and Miriam were finally in my life.

And all thanks to Baltor.

That was something I never thought I'd ever say.

Regardless, with the population of Sparx finally freed and the Ancestresses gone, the curse on Sparx was finally lifted. However, considering that the state of the realm had been frozen in time, the planet was rampant with the destruction the battle had caused. Cities were destroyed and the palace was worse for wear. Everyone immediately began to work on reconstructing the great planet, eager to restore its grandeur.

Oritel and Miriam had insisted that I stay with them while everything was being repaired, but I refused. I knew that my ignorance of anything Sparxian would only get in the way, and they needed to focus on the people before anything else. Therefore, I voted to stay on Earth until everything was rebuilt.

The girls were always enthusiastic about visiting me on Earth, stopping in almost every other day to see how I was doing; particularly, Stella and Flora, who'd arrive unannounced all the time to take me out on the town.

"Stella, I really don't want you to freak out about this," I began, "and chances are you won't even believe me when I tell you."

Her eyes widened. "Bloom, are you pregnant?"

It took everything in me to not scream at her. "No, I am not pregnant."

Immediately, she put a hand to her chest, looking relieved. "Oh, thank Arcadia!" she exclaimed. "You're already a handful when you're _not_ pregnant."

I glared at her. "Can I continue, or would you like to keep ranting about how awful I would be while pregnant?"

"No, tell me!" Stella was practically jumping up and down in her seat, unable to contain herself. "I need to know!"

Glancing over at Flora, she nodded encouragingly. When I mentioned letting Stella in on the secret, she had been surprisingly supportive. We both knew how on the fence the princess could be about keeping a secret, but Flora convinced me to give her the benefit of the doubt.

That didn't stop me from being ridiculously nervous about her reaction, however.

"Okay, so there was something going on senior year that I didn't tell you guys about."

Stella eagerly leaned forward. " _Spill_ , girl! _Spill_!"

"Stella!" Flora chided, noticing several of the other passengers beginning to look over at us.

The blonde quickly muttered an apology, thankfully obliged.

"The truth is that I was kind of seeing someone after Sky and I broke up."

She gave me a curt nod. "Okay. Yes. Continue."

"And . . . um . . ." I stammered, "this particular someone I was kind of seeing is someone that we all know."

Stella nodded again. "Okay. Yes. Continue."

I gulped, anxiously looking to Flora. "He's a wizard that we all know, actually."

Clutching the arm of her seat, she gasped loudly. "You were dating _Nabu_?"

Flora buried her face in her hands, clearly giving up already.

"Bloom, he is already engaged to Layla!" she reprimanded me, treating her own conclusion like a legitimate scandal. "Why do you keep being attracted to men in arranged marriages?"

"Stella, it wasn't Nabu!" I snapped.

The Princess of Solaria froze, thinking over my words. "Oh. Then who was it?" she asked. "Was it Bishop's brother? I bet it was Bishop's brother. I heard him mention sophomore year that he was into you."

"It was Baltor."

I startled myself with how easily I blurted it out.

My words rendered her speechless for several seconds. Her blank stare worried me. For a moment, I genuinely thought she went comatose.

Fear bubbled up in my stomach as I heard her quietly begin to laugh. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly, Bloom. I thought you said _Baltor_."

A painful knot twisted inside me, already catching the acid in her voice. Swallowing hard, I prepared for the worst. "I did, Stel. I was sneaking around seeing Baltor." I hesitantly confirmed. "No one knew."

As I spoke, her face gradually contorted with emotions I couldn't place. Originally, I thought she was going to stick with straight up pissed. It was an emotion she resorted to often, plus it was one I was at least semi-prepared to handle. Stella's rage fits were fairly simple to manage, especially when I had back up. However, once her expression began to shift, I knew I was screwed.

Her silence was endless. Aside from the quiet chattering of the other passengers, not a sound accompanied her stillness.

"You're joking, right?" she finally asked, glancing between Flora and I. When her eyes locked on mine, I could easily see her aura pulse a deep red color, revealing her underlying savagery. "This is a joke."

My throat went dry. I opted to shake my head instead.

"It's not a prank, Stella." Flora conceded. "We're serious."

Stella's muteness briefly returned. "Let me get this straight here," she said, her eyebrows knitted together thoughtfully. "You're telling me that your super-dramatic, huge, mysterious secret news is that during our senior year at Alfea you and Baltor, our arch-enemy at the time who viciously attempted to kill us on multiple occasions, were in some kind of twisted, illustrious, love affair?"

I felt my heartbeat quicken, beating furiously against my ribcage. Cautiously, I nodded. "Yes."

Immediately, Stella theatrically slumped down her seat, crossing her arms like a dejected child. "Uh! I already knew that!"

My eyes bulged out of my head.

"Bring better material to the table next time, ladies!"

"You knew about us?" I stuttered.

There was no way that Stella could've known about Baltor and me. It didn't add up. We'd been so careful, ensuring that no one discovered us. Aside from our one slip up at the Magix Museum, we'd been golden.

Or so I'd thought.

Stella nodded, continuing to pout. "Duh! Of course, I did!"

"How long have you known about this?" Flora cut in, appearing mildly insulted that the blonde hadn't told her earlier.

She shrugged. "Since, like, the Millennium Party on Eraklyon."

" _What_?" I shouted, jaw dropping in awe. "There's no way! How the hell did you find out during the Millennium Party? _I_ didn't even know during the Millennium Party!"

"I didn't find out _during_ the party. I found out _after_." she elucidated as if it were obvious. "I was running through the footage on the tapes the next morning –"

My heart skipped a beat. "Whoa! Hold on a sec!" I interrupted her, sticking a hand up.

The Princess of Solaria surprisingly complied, becoming tight-lipped. She shrunk into herself, her expression apparent that she had let something secret slip.

"What tapes are you talking about?" I questioned her.

Looking all around the bus, Stella desperately searched for a way to get herself out of her own trap. She'd always had an issue of accidentally spilling secrets at the most inopportune times, and this was one of those times. Although, typically, the secrets she tended to spill were never actually her own. Hence my initial aversion to divulging my secret to her.

She audibly groaned, throwing her head back. "Fine! Okay! You caught me!"

Flora and I glanced at each other, anxiously waiting for what was sure to be a long-winded explanation.

"So, senior year, before you all started showing up for orientation, I kind of rigged up some magi-cams throughout the dorms." Stella admitted.

My brow shot up to my hairline. "You did _what_?"

"Stella, that's so invasive!" Flora exclaimed, flushing angrily. "Why would you do that?"

"I know, I'm sorry!" she apologized, weakly. "I never really said anything to anyone, but I was just super paranoid after the whole shit show that was my Princess Ball." She looked over at me. "Do you remember sophomore year whenever you met Sky's parents on Eraklyon and you found out that he was being tailed by assassins sent by that Yoshinoya guy?"

I laughed, harshly. "Yeah, that was a super fun dinner conversation."

"I was scared that Cassandra and Chimera were up to something similar. Since they had Dad under that spell, and I was banished from the kingdom, it only made sense that they would send someone to 'take care of me.' So I asked Tecna on the down-low if she would put cloaked magi-cams all over the dorm to feel safer. And, if there was any movement at night, I would get an alert to let me know something was going on."

My fear was immediately dissolved. "Stella, why didn't you tell us?" I asked her, concerned. "You know we would've been there for you."

She shrugged, unsure. "I didn't want to seem insane."

"Sweetie, that's not insane at all." Flora interjected, seeming to have calmed down as well. "You had every right to be scared. From what I've heard and seen from them, I wouldn't put it past them to do something that horrible."

"Anyway, that doesn't matter now." she brushed off. "Cassandra and Chimera have been dealt with."

I was surprised that Stella had even agreed to accept my invitation to talk on Earth when I'd asked her a few days prior. After the arrest of Cassandra and Chimera for spelling King Radius, she'd had her hands full balancing out spending time with Brandon and cleaning up the terrible duo's mess. The mother-daughter duo had managed to remove Stella's claim to throne entirely and the Solarian princess had to have her title reinstated, which apparently was a very in-depth process.

"So, back to our discussion, when I checked the cameras the morning after the party, I saw Baltor in your room."

My mind's eye shot back to the night of the Millennium Party. Faintly, I recalled being carried out of the caverns on Tides after falling asleep, and waking up in my dorm room the next morning. It had transpired so long ago, I'd actually forgotten it entirely.

"You never said anything to me." I said, shocked. "Why?"

"I was processing it." she answered. "I needed time to try and figure out what was going on. Seeing our arch-enemy in your dorm room is something that kind of throws you off guard. Plus, I knew if I tried to ask you about it, you would just get angry and deny it."

"Why did you not tell the rest of us?" Flora asked, intently.

"I thought about telling you guys, I really did!" she defended. "But for one thing, it definitely wasn't my place to tell anyone about it. And secondly, the longer I kept an eye on Bloom I noticed that she was happier."

A pang shot through me.

"Who was I to ruin that? You seemed happier being with Baltor than you ever did being with Sky, as much as it pains me to admit." she elaborated. "And as long as you were happy, I decided I wouldn't meddle with it. That's why I pushed so hard to have you come to Solaria after you were released from the hospital. I wanted to finally talk to you about it, and try to get you to open up –especially after the whole final battle thing on Tides. I know that couldn't have been easy for you to have to do."

An apprehensive giggle slipped past my lips. "Yeah, about that," I said, cutting off her heartfelt speech. "Baltor's kind of still alive."

Stella looked ready to fall out of her seat. "Now _that_ is bringing better material to the table."

I caught Flora rolling her eyes next to me, distressed by how erratic the blonde's train of thought was.

"He's actually the one who gave me that book on Obsidian." I added, reluctantly. "If it weren't for him, we never would've found my birth parents."

She threw her hand to her chest, aww-ing cutely. "The classic redemption arc. How adorable! Was he hiding with us while we were looking for them? Has he been here this entire time?" She blanched. "Is he here now?"

My jaw suddenly locked up, unable to speak. Unwillingly, in my head, I returned to that day on Linphea. I could still hear how my voice painfully reverberated off the walls of the tiny room as I screamed at him to leave. His regretful gaze lingered in my memory, tugging on my heart strings.

I hadn't heard or seen anything from Baltor at all since then. I'd attempted sensing whereabouts using our Dragon Fire connection, but all I'd reached was a dead end. I knew he wasn't dead; however the fact that he wasn't reaching back stung some. Then again, I shouldn't expect him to reach out nor should I care if he did. I'd been the one to tell him to leave; I was the angry one. And I was still angry.

Yet my mind persistently played that day on a loop.

"It's kind of a tender subject." Flora spoke for me, gently placing a hand on my shoulder.

Stella looked at me suspiciously, surely wanting to know the details.

"Alrighty then!" Flora exclaimed, breaking the awkwardly tense moment between us all. "Why don't we move on to something a bit lighter? Like tomorrow?"

Stella instantly perked up, smiling widely. "I almost forgot! You're moving into the palace tomorrow, right?"

Feeling another bout of anxiety creep up, I nodded. "Yep. Oritel said that the palace has officially been restored."

"That's awesome!" A sly gleam sparkled in her amber eyes. "I suppose this means that we can finally get down to business." She cleared her throat. "I specifically remember a promise being made freshmen year in which we get to 'take our pick' as you put it of all the fabulous crown jewels stashed away in the tunnels."

I opened my mouth to acknowledge the memory when Flora suddenly cut me off.

"Uh-oh. What's wrong?"

Stella raised an eyebrow, not expecting the remark.

"Nothing's wrong." I insisted, shifting my eyes to the floor. "I'm . . . going _home_."

Home.

The word tasted weird on my tongue. Ever since I was a few days old, home had been Gardenia. There was never a time where Gardenia didn't feel like home to me. I knew every street, every park, every neighbor, and every neighbor's pet. My entire life was influenced by that tiny city I called home.

Nevertheless, when I woke up tomorrow morning, I would be on my way to my real home. Ever since Sparx was revived, I was terrified to step foot on the planet. The whole concept of it being my new home intimidated me. I knew next to nothing in regards to Sparxian history and culture. The people there were strangers to me, and I was a stranger to them. Pair that with the fear of doing something ridiculous in front of my birth parents, and disaster was sure to ensue.

My Earth parents were well aware of the situation I was in. They were genuinely excited for me when I told them I'd been reunited with Oritel and Miriam; however, things seemed to get a bit touchy any time I mentioned the king and queen around them. I didn't blame them; as my adoptive parents it was only natural for them to feel a little over-protective.

I loved Oritel and Miriam, but Mike and Vanessa were always going to be Mom and Dad. They'd always been that to me and they always would be. Just because Oritel and Miriam were back in the picture now didn't automatically mean Mike and Vanessa were going to be tossed into the dirt. The thought itself was absurd. Although, in their defense, it would be a little hard to accept that your adoptive daughter was reunited with her biological parents. Then, along with the idea that said daughter was going to be living with said biological parents had to be tough.

Flora smiled sweetly, squeezing my shoulder. "Everything will be fine. I'm sure of it. It's a big adjustment to go from Earth to Sparx."

"It is." Stella agreed. "But, I'm sure if you called up that big bad wizard that you're smitten with, he'd be more than happy to help you _adjust_."

My cheeks burned, fiercely. "Stel!"

She waggled her eyebrows at me. "You know you want to," she replied in a sing-song voice. "Or maybe he's already helped you _adjust_ before?"

"If you use that word as a euphemism one more time, I'm going to throw up."

"You can never complain about Musa being crude ever again." Flora commented, blushing.

"Oh, please! You know I have to ask!" she debated. "I have to make sure that my BFF isn't being pressured to do things she isn't ready for."

"Oh my god, can we please not talk about this?" I pleaded, becoming genuinely uncomfortable with where this conversation was heading.

"But Bloom –"

"No!" I yelled. "We're moving on!"

From the look of her face I could tell Stella was itching to pursue the conversation. Her eye was on the verge of twitching, restraining herself from pressing on.

"So, Flo," I started off before the blonde could say anything else. "What's Helia been up to lately?"

The brunette's eyes lit up at the mention of her boyfriend. "Since he finished his training at Red Fountain, he's actually been teaching at one of the art schools on Linphea."

"Seriously?" Stella asked, dumbfounded. "He ditched heroics for painting?"

"It's what he's always wanted to do." the nature fairy defended. "Besides, Helia admitted he only agreed to go to Red Fountain so he could be closer to me. Art's his true passion."

"It also helps that he's extremely good at it." I added, feeling the bus come to a stop. "He could draw a straight line in the middle of an earthquake."

"I've told you a million times, Bloom, if you want some pointers from him all you have to do is ask."

"She's too proud for that." Stella remarked, leaping to her feet. "That's why she won't admit that she's definitely thought about doing it with her total sex god ex-boyfriend."

My face burned as she walked past me, her nose triumphantly in the air.

She always did have to have the last word.

* * *

After Flora spent five minutes apologizing to everyone on the bus for Stella's disturbing remarks, we walked the rest of the way to my parents' brownstone. The only one who had actually found anything on our shopping trip was Stella; therefore, luckily I didn't have to drag any ungodly amount of bags home.

There wasn't really any conversation between the three of us on the trip to my house. Even with Stella, the most talkative of us all, she only said a quick spell to keep us warm against the snow and then dove into silence. Instead, it was a series of tense and puzzled glances between Flora and Stella, confusing the hell out of me. Although, neither said a word till I walked up to my front door.

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to come with you tomorrow?"

Restraining the urge to roll my eyes, I spun around to face the girls. "Flora, I'll be fine."

"I know, I know!" she said. "I just know that you've been a bit _tense_ these last few weeks. It's not shameful to admit that you might be a bit too stressed out to handle Sparx all on your own tomorrow."

Ever since my fight with Baltor, my dark side had been on the fritz. Every little annoyance or inconvenience had me on the verge of crossing over, forcing me to try and rein my emotions in. It was understandable that she was worried about how I would react in such a new environment, but her never-ending concern for me was yet another trigger for it.

"I'm fine, Flo!"

She shot me a doubtful look.

Stella cleared her throat, interrupting our spat. "Okay, well, I'm meeting up with Brandon in less than an hour so we should go. I'm going to die if I have to go on a date with hat hair."

"Well, we definitely wouldn't want that." I laughed, pulling out my house key.

"Come on, Flo!" Whipping out her Solaria ring, she transformed it and tapped the scepter on the ground expectantly. "I have places to be. Bloom's a big kid; she can go to bed without someone tucking her in!"

Flora frowned her brow, worriedly. "You call us if you need anything, okay?"

"Yes, _mother_ ," I told her, laughing. "I'll make sure to call twice a day, too, just to check in."

She gave me a nervous chuckle. "I know you're kidding, but, honestly, I'd be okay with that."

If anyone had been more invested in how I was holding up, Flora most likely would've fought them. She constantly checked up on me, making sure that I was alright. I knew she was only concerned for my well-being, but it tended to be suffocating. A phone call every once in a while would've sufficed in place of showing up at my house as my friend slash therapist.

The two fairies disappeared in a bright flash and I was left alone on my doorstep. To my dismay, Stella's warmth spell vanished as well, leaving me victim to the freezing cold. I quickly dashed inside, eager to be warm again.

"I'm home!" I shouted, thankful to finally be inside from the snowfall.

Tearing my toboggan off, my eyes scanned over the empty living room, and a tiny squeeze constricted my heart. It was weird to think that just a few years ago the place was littered in debris because of a fight between a certain blonde fairy, a troll, an ogre, me, and five very specific specialists.

"Welcome home, honey!"

A pair of thin arms was suddenly around me, taking advantage of my distracted state. Overwhelmed by the scent of dirt and flowers, I returned the tight hug.

"I was gone for a couple of hours, Mom." I said, pulling back some.

Her sandy brown eyes smiled at me. "Oh, I know," she said. Reaching up, she stroked my hair. Something sparkled in her eye as if she was fondly reminiscing. "You know me; I'll worry about you whether you're going to another realm or next door."

I shook my head, unable to deny it. "Where's Dad?"

"He received a call from the station about half an hour ago. There's a big fire on the other side of town."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "In this weather? It's snowing!"

She shrugged. "The chief said it was severe. Your father said he wasn't sure when he would be home, though, so I thought you and I would just have a girls night in." She looked almost hopeful.

Shedding my coat, I hung it on the coat rack next to me. "That sounds great." I said, shooting her a half-smile. I opened my mouth to ask her what we should do, but I stopped myself when my eyes met hers.

Her warm look had morphed into one rife with nervous tension.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I was just wondering," she spoke up. "I know you have to leave tomorrow, but are you sure you want to head off so soon?"

I furrowed my brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, trying to adjust to life as a princess isn't going to be easy, honey. And I'm not sure if diving headfirst into that lifestyle right now would be good for you."

My Dragon Fire unexpectedly flared in my chest, feeling insulted. "Wouldn't be good for me?"

"You've barely given yourself any time to relax, Bloom. Ever since you got that book, you've been running around the realms non-stop. And with all of this happening right after what transpired with Baltor –"

"Oh, Mom, no, not this again," I begged, sagging my shoulders.

Ever since I came home, Mom had low-key been trying to push for me to open up about my fight with Baltor. Constantly she would hint at it, or if she was feeling bold, she would be outright with telling me that I was bottling it up too much. I would tell her everything was fine, but she never would believe me.

"I know you, honey. You haven't talked about it all to anyone." she said. "Maybe you should give yourself some time to figure things out with him before running off to Sparx."

"Mom, I'm fine." I insisted, bringing my hands up to rest on her shoulders. "Okay? I'm more than fine. I promise. He is the last thing I want to focus on right now. Sparx is the only thing I want on my mind."

She gave me a doubtful look. "Bloom, you're only going to make things worse on yourself."

"No, I'm not. If anything, going to Sparx is the distraction I need." I told her. "So, why don't we get the ball rolling on girls' night in and start making dinner?" I shot her a smirk. "Pizza is really calling my name."

She raised a dubious brow. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"I'm positive. Besides, there's nothing to talk about. He lied to me, and that's it. What's done is done. It's in the past. I'm totally okay."

Mom sighed, resting one of her hands on top of mine. "Alright, I'll go get everything ready in the kitchen."

The moment she turned away, the same heavy weight that had been pressing on my chest since Linphea returned. But now, I could finally determine what it was.

I blinked back the threatening sting of tears before following Mom into the kitchen. Pulling open the drawer filled with utensils, I caught my reflection in one of the spoons. I could easily see the unwanted emotion growing in my eyes, and I easily shoved it the side.

Regret.

* * *

 _I did say a Christmas update. I'm also very nervous about this Christmas update. I almost didn't post it because my anxiety overwhelmed me since I made the decision to post this like early this past week. But I did, and I hope it doesn't suck._

 _Oh. My. GAHD. How long has it been? Twelve years? That sounds about right. That's not an exaggeration at all._

 _So, originally, I was going to post a Christmas-y oneshot, but it kept getting too OOC and I couldn't take it anymore. Therefore, for some strange reason, I suddenly became super invested in getting this done. Don't ask me why. Because I have no idea._

 _The next chapter shouldn't be too far behind this one. As you can probably tell, this chapter had some rehashed stuff, the only difference is I've added new things around it. That's how many of these chapters are kind of going to go. Unfortunately, there will be character cuts. For instance, Andy, Roxy, the Wizards, all of those characters from the original are going to be cut just for the sake of not making this storyline any more complicated than it already is._

 _And, I'm sure as many of you are probably aware: the preface/prologue is no longer a thing. Yes, I'm aware I promised an amazing preface on tumblr, but I didn't want the smut to get too out of control too soon. We gotta ease our way into the sparxshipping smut folks. It's very rare around here, and we must proceed with caution and delicate steps. If I ever finish it though, I may post it on tumblr or something as a secret behind-the-scenes type thing._

 _Also, if there are any grammar errors I do apologize. I tried as best as I could to keep them to a minimum, but my tendonitis has been freaking out on me lately so my fingers keep betraying me when I type. Plus I'm pretty sure my vision is changing, so not only are my hands crippled, I'm apparently going more blind than I already am. It's such a pleasure being me._

 _Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!_

 _~Bloom_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 _The wall of windows of the Magic Philosophy classroom let in a steady stream of the afternoon sunlight that reflected off the rows of empty desks. Peering inside, I shifted my bag higher up onto my shoulder, catching sight of my dark-haired professor across the room. "You wanted to see me professor?"_

 _Avalon turned away from the blackboard, beaming pleasantly at me. "Ah, Bloom, I'm glad you were able to meet with me."_

 _"Of course!" I quipped, peeling myself off the door frame and walking further into the classroom. "What did you want to talk to me about?"_

 _He reached inside his pristine white jacket and pulled out a thin scroll. The paper was yellowed with age, and a frayed black string was tightly bound around it, tied off in a simple bow. Glancing up at him, I saw his eyes smiling at me._

 _"I believe I've discovered a way to get you more in touch with your powers." Avalon explained, unrolling the scroll._

 _My eyes widened, excitedly. "Really? You found something?"_

 _Flattening out the curling edges, he placed the delicate paper out on his desk. He motioned me to his side. Setting my bag down, I eagerly rushed over to his side, desperate to glimpse his findings. Running my finger over the words, I frowned as I realized it was encoded in a different language, composed of ancient runes._

 _"The process is called Magical Regression." Avalon said, watching me fail at trying to decipher the faded ink._

 _"Like backtracking?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder to meet his gaze. "Isn't that kind of the opposite of what we want to accomplish?"_

 _The paladin chuckled. "In most cases, yes," he confirmed. "However, with Magical Regression we would be only 'backtracking' into your past."_

 _Feeling something brush against my shoulder, I briefly flicked my eyes over to the left. I relaxed when I saw it was nothing more than Avalon's hand coming to a light rest._

 _"If we could first get you more in touch with your origins, we could then use that knowledge to strengthen your magic."_

 _My heart skipped a beat. "You mean I could find out more about my birth parents?"_

 _Avalon's other hand rose up to hold mine and I couldn't help but notice how warm his skin felt. "I guarantee it. Magical Regression can help you connect with your birth parents in ways you can't imagine. All you have to do is trust in the process completely and I believe we'll make quick progress."_

 _To say I was elated was an understatement. This Magical Regression thing could really be the answer to every question I had about my powers and my origins. True, I had no idea how the process worked, but if Avalon seemed more than happy to help me through it. With his help, my dreams could finally become reality._

 _"If Magical Regression is what will help me, then I'll do whatever it takes." I replied, confidently. "Whatever I need to do, whatever you need me to do, I'll do it!"_

 _He smirked. "Perfect."_

 _"Hey, Bloom –"_

 _Both of us turned to the doorway, startled. Avalon immediately put several feet between us, snatching the scroll off the desk._

 _"Tecna!" I exclaimed, smiling at my tech-savvy friend. "What's up?"_

 _The slender, pink-haired girl loomed in the doorway, arms folded across her chest. Her teal eyes were sharp, glaring daggers behind me._

 _Frowning, I turned to follow her glare. Tecna's eyes were firmly locked on Avalon. His brow was furrowed, just as perplexed as I was by her aggressive stance._

 _"Bloom, Sky's out in the quad looking for you." she said, never looking away from Avalon._

 _My heart leapt in my chest. Once the thought of my boyfriend entered my mind, though, disappointment flooded my senses._

 _"Oh, um," I stammered, glancing back at Avalon. "Professor Avalon was in the middle of –"_

 _"Trust me, Bloom, I'm aware he was in the middle of doing_ something _." Tecna interrupted, teeth clenched._

 _My Dragon Fire flared slightly, not liking her implying tone._

 _"It's quite alright, Bloom." Avalon interjected suddenly, stepping forward. "There's no need to rush into your Magical Regression journey. We can pick this up another day."_

 _My shoulders slumped. "Are you sure?"_

 _He smiled, encouragingly. "Of course." Tucking the scroll into his jacket, he nodded towards Tecna. "Now, go. I'm sure_ Sky _is eager to speak with you."_

* * *

Sparx looked considerably different when it wasn't covered in ice and snow. What was once a planet cursed to be frozen for all of eternity now was the epitome of beauty and warmth. Waves of green grass stretched for hundreds of miles, bathed in the bright rays of the newly unleashed sun. Stormy gray clouds had dissipated and were replaced with puffs of white that dotted the unbelievably blue sky. A gentle breeze blew through the air, making the heat easily bearable. It was perfect.

The carriage rocked and jerked violently as it was pulled along the rocky path. I grimaced, but attempted to ignore it, unsure of just how much longer I would have to endure it. Sitting on a velvet cushioned seat wasn't to my distaste; however, being thrown from said seat into the ceiling of a tiny carriage wasn't particularly my cup of tea. I would've much preferred teleportation straight to the palace. In fact, I would have teleported if I'd had the option. Since Sparx's return, protection spells had been placed all over the castle grounds, forbidding any form of teleportation in or out. It was very medieval in a realm full of powerful magic, but once bitten twice shy, I guess.

There was only one path that led to the castle, through the capital city Fiyera. Back before the war, it was said to have been one of the most successful and gorgeous cities in the dimension. And once the carriage had passed the threshold, it was clear how true that statement was. It reminded me of Magix, except less advanced (which was understandable considering that it had been nearly twenty years since the city had been _alive_ ). There were towering buildings, quaint little local shops and businesses that lined the pavement, and hundreds of people bustling about. The people were dressed in expensive-looking clothes, not shy to demonstrate their wealth. Although, all of their eyes turned to the carriage once we entered, and they gawked at the magnificent carriage. I couldn't blame them. _I_ had barely been able to take my eyes off of it when I had first seen it.

Looking out the small window, my eyes kept locking with several of theirs. A word seemed to be falling from their lips when they saw me, but I couldn't make it out. They were saying it so softly it couldn't break through the glass.

" _Kaerῑnio_."

I jumped, nearly forgetting the man sitting across from me. He was a bespectacled older gentleman who wore a bright white cravat like it was sewn into his neck. Oritel and Miriam had introduced me to him once –Bartleby. If I remembered correctly, he was the official scribe of Sparx. I'd also deemed him the Sebastian to my Ariel.

" _Kaerῑnio_ ," I repeated, furrowing my brow. "What does it mean?" My eyes locked on a small blonde girl in the crowd. Her green eyes sparkled when she realized I was looking at her, and she clutched the stuffed toy in her arms tighter, shying away. The Great Dragon.

"It's the old tongue," Bartleby explained. "It was spoken by everyone on Sparx before we adapted to the common language." He paused. "Translated, it means savior."

I snorted.

 _Savior._ That was the last thing I was. I had nothing to do with Sparx's revival. Hell, _Sky_ was the one who'd retrieved the sword and destroyed the Ancestresses. I did next to nothing. If it weren't for him, I'd be dead. And, ironically, none of this would've been possible without Baltor giving me the book on Obsidian in the first place. If he hadn't found that book and given it to me, who knows where we'd be?

The snicker that leapt through my lips couldn't be helped. Imagining what the people would do if they found out that _Baltor_ was truly responsible for the restoration nearly sent me into a laughing fit. And only God knew how Oritel and Miriam would react.

"Do you find that comical, princess?" Bartleby quizzically asked.

Slumping back in my seat, I chuckled under my breath. "Absolutely hysterical."

He tilted his head, more confused than before by my vague remark.

I just shook my head, turning my attention back to the crowded streets outside the window. "Forget it."

It didn't take long for the city to fade away and the carriage returned to the familiar rocky, dirt trail. The bright city immediately turned into a deep forest with trees so dense you could barely see past the first few rows. It reminded me of Gloomywood back in Magix, which I hadn't returned to since my first encounter with the Ancestresses. It felt so long ago.

Then again, _everything_ felt so long ago. I could barely remember the old days back before I was Princess Bloom of Sparx and when getting a flat tire on my bike was the biggest of my worries. Now my main concern was how many hours it would be before I managed to get lost inside the palace.

That was an odd thought.

Bloom Peters the Earth girl was moving into a _castle_. I still didn't believe it. To think that I was about to begin my life as an official princess was insane; a reality that was only supposed to exist in five-year-old me's head. But this was actually happening. In just a few minutes time, the carriage would pull up to the palace and all of my belongings would be put into what I was sure would be an overly luxurious bedroom that I definitely didn't need. And from there, who knew? Everything was going to change.

A buzzing went off inside the slouched bag sitting on my shoulder. Digging inside, I pulled out my cell phone and saw a small alert on the screen saying I'd missed a text. I didn't find it surprising at all when I saw it was from Stella. Opening the message, I saw a picture of her in front of a tall, skyscraper-like building that I recognized from Gardenia. Under it was a small text box with a very angry Stella, yelling: _WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED THERE ARE ENTIRE BUILDINGS ON EARTH THAT ARE DEDICATED TO FASHION LIKE MAGIX DOES?!_

I shook my head, rolling my eyes at her. Frankly, I was too exhausted from the jerking carriage to have that argument with her. Plus, it was doing absolutely nothing for the sick feeling that had been looming over me for the last few days. I shot her a quick text asking her what she was even doing on Earth in the first place and shoved the phone back into my bag.

Light suddenly pierced through the shady woods. The trees disappeared, and a great stone wall that stretched as far off into the distance stood in its place. Guards in shiny silver armor stood at the large entry gate, a portcullis constructed out of what I assumed to be some form of insanely powerful metal. My birth parents seemed to not want to take any more chances of being attacked a second time. The moment we approached them, though, the portcullis was raised with a nod from the guards and our carriage continued without even a second's pause into the short tunnel to the castle.

"They're just going to let us through?" I asked, amazed. "They're not even going to check to make sure we're not enemies?"

Bartleby chuckled. "Princess, you have much to learn about Sparx."

I felt slightly offended, but decided to let it go.

The carriage emerged at the beginning of what appeared to be a combination of a garden and courtyard. It reminded me of the garden Stella and I had appeared in when she'd transported us to Solaria for her Princess Ball. Nature had graciously wormed its way into the courtyard, adding a spectacular vibe of beauty and fantasy. It was like stepping into Andalasia.

When my eyes finally tore themselves away from the courtyard, they went straight for the castle. Having been repaired from the damages from the battle with the Ancestresses (and from our encounter with the uber-yeti) the Sparx castle had returned to its former glory. The odd, somewhat modern design of it made it hard to gauge just how large it was. However, if it was anything like it'd been when I'd explored its depths freshmen year, I had a lot of walking to do. Balconies, tinted glass ceilings, towers, the whole nine yards. It was more overwhelming than when I toured the Solarian palace.

Suddenly, the carriage lurched to a half, throwing everyone inside. Kiko, who had been surprisingly sleeping soundly on my lap the whole ride, was rudely awakened and tossed from his comfortable position. For an animal who was supposed to have sensitive hearing, he could sleep through one of Musa's Subwoofer Blasts.

Sliding out onto the cobblestone, I landed on wobbly feet, cradling Kiko in my arms. Instantly, my eyes landed on the creatures that had been pulling the vehicle here. Slight terror still gripped my chest. They were the size of horses, but were the exact opposite. Covered in black scales, their long necks turned from side to side as their gold eyes surveyed their environment. Smoke billowed from their nostrils and they shrieked loudly into the sky.

Dragons.

These two weren't as large as the ones I'd encountered on my trip to Pyros to gain my Enchantix. But they were definitely dragons. Once you ran into one dragon, the image is pretty much burned into your brain.

"Are all of the carriages around here pulled by _dragons_?" I stammered to Bartley as he exited the carriage behind me.

"The royal carriages are, yes." he replied, calmly. "Any that you'll see around Fiyera and the other cities would ordinarily be pulled by horses. However, only the royal family's have dragons."

 _Of course they would._

I nodded, desperately trying to act as normally as he was. "Well, it's certainly one way to prevent being robbed."

I attempted to mask my awe at how calmly the workers at the palace were around the dragons. They were completely relaxed as they approached the carriage to retrieve my bags, and oddly enough, the dragons were, too. I'd half expected the winged creatures to burn all of them to a crisp; however, they minded themselves.

I'd almost wanted them to.

Catching the dark though, I immediately shook my head, trying desperately to remove it.

Despite expressing that I was perfectly capable of carrying my bags myself, the workers insisted on delivering them up to my room. Having others do something so simple for me was an uncomfortable feeling. If I could do it, why did I need seven people to do it for me? What use was I?

My eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar red suitcase being removed from the carriage. Fear encased my heart the moment I saw it. "Don't unpack that one!"

The workers suddenly froze mid-stride, all of them looking more than a little perplexed.

"Don't unpack that one." I repeated, practically hearing my heart beating in my ears. "You can take it up there. But don't unpack it. _Please_."

The brown-haired man holding it simply nodded before resuming his work.

Frankly, I wanted to carry that one myself. I knew the people working at the palace had to be trustworthy; yet I was terrified that today might be the day that the old hinges on my bag might finally collapse after all these years. And it anyone saw the contents inside it, to be blunt, I would be screwed. If I asked to carry it myself though, too many questions would be asked. The last thing I wanted was to seem finicky and have people curious about what was inside.

"The King and Queen are expecting you in the throne room, Your Highness." Bartleby interrupted my thoughts.

"You know, you can call me Bloom." I told him, feeling my sense of discomfort strengthen when I heard the overly proper term. "I'm not going to off your head if you don't 'address me properly' or whatever." Being addressed by any of my 'titles' made me cringe. All my life, I'd been called Bloom and Bloom only; hearing 'Princess' or 'Your Highness' was so unnatural.

"Of course, Your Highness."

I rolled my eyes so hard my eyelids fluttered.

* * *

During my trip to Sparx freshmen year, I'd been given the extreme privilege of exploring many parts of the palace myself. I'd stumbled upon the undergrounds tunnels, the dining hall, the _inner_ courtyard, the treasure room. Somehow the throne room had managed to slip under my radar. In my defense, there was a good chance it had been drowned in snow and rubble. However, when Bartleby left me to walk in to meet with my parents, I was amazed that I had missed it.

The double doors leading to the room were massive and constructed of a dark green glass, faintly similar to the ones in the Alfea dorm rooms. Large, metallic dragons of the same color were embedded in the glass, adding a slightly intimidating feel to the entrance. The longer I looked at it, the more I felt something odd stir inside me. I brushed it off as my Dragon Fire freaking out

Columns lined the long red room and stretched for what seemed like miles up to the tall, glass roof. Tapestries with gold embroidered dragons lined the walls, glinting in the beaming sunlight. At the end of the hall was a staircase made up of only a few steps that led to a raised floor where three enormous thrones were perched. My nerves piqued at the thought that it was supposed to be mine,

Workers weaved in and out of the room, carrying banners and trays to unknown places. They were quick and precise, almost as if they'd been doing it all day. I tried to see where one holding a large sculpture was heading to, but a lilting voice cut through the business of the room.

"Bloom!"

My eyes tore over to the corner of the room, seeing none other than my birth parents standing there. Miriam's face brightened when she saw me, not wasting any time in waltzing over to pull me into a welcoming hug.

When everyone said that I looked liked Miriam, I shrugged it off as exaggerations. However, the resemblance between the two of us was uncanny. Looking at her was catching a glimpse of what I would look like in a few years. The only difference was her bright green eyes and her extraordinarily regal attire. A long fur cape trailed from the shoulders of her green and pink gown, and a tall, golden beaded crown had been woven into the massive updo her hair was in.

Oritel was a different story. The only physical trait I'd managed to inherit from him was his blue eyes, which held nothing but love as he trailed after Miriam to greet me. With his tan skin and short dark hair, no one would've guessed we were even related. The light armor he was wearing made him stand straight and tall, giving him a more powerful air to him than he already had.

Miriam pulled me into a Stella-tight hug the moment her arms could reach me. The exhaustion from my trip melted away, replaced by a wave of happiness. I threw my arms around her, returning the hug with enthusiasm.

Only one thought entered my head: I was hugging my mother.

It continued to be unreal to me. After all these years of thinking moments like this would never exist, I was finally able to hug my birth mother.

Oritel gave me a warm smile, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Welcome home, sweetheart."

 _Home_.

To say that I was used to my _birth parents_ , on the other hand, was the simplest lie I could ever say. Having parents who were very powerful magic-wielders and were the king and queen of the newly restored, most powerful realm in the entire dimension was going to take quite a bit of adjusting to. Mom and dad had been so laidback about everything; a stark contrast to the proper, royal air that Oritel and Miriam seemed to have about them. Their posture was impeccable; they dressed to the nines; they commanded the attention of every room they entered.

"We're so glad you made it here alright." Miriam continued, taking a step back. Her hands slid down to tightly hold mine, like I was going to disappear if she let go. "For a moment, we thought you weren't going to make it in time."

My brow furrowed, catching one of the workers carrying an ice sculpture of the Great Dragon into the other room. "Why wouldn't I make it in time?"

Miriam had a wide Cheshire Cat smile, barely able to contain her enthusiasm. "We thought it would be a good time to throw a small little get-together to celebrate your arrival!"

Immediately, my face fell. Regardless of my inexperience with parties (only having been to two), they'd never really bothered me. The idea of a party being thrown because of _me_ . . . I was flustered. That was one of the brightest spotlights I could have on me. Being in the spotlight was where Stella shined, not me. I was supportive side character cheering from behind the scenes.

"Oh, no, guys!" I insisted. "Thank you, but really, that's not necessary at all!" _Plus, Musa's going to kill me when she finds out._

"Nonsense!" Oritel heartily refuted. "Besides, the invitations were sent out last week and the preparations for the grand ballroom are already in full swing for tonight."

" _Tonight_?" I asked, incredulous. My mind was still trying to wrap around the idea that they'd been planning this behind my back for over a week. But, since I hadn't been staying at the palace, I supposed it would definitely be easier to do that way.

My feet ached at the thought of a party, knowing they were going to be forced into a pair of heels. The exhaustion from the trip seemed to sink in, and I had to suppress the powerful urge to scream.

"In fact, we should get you settled into your room." Oritel said. "Actually, you'll be staying in a different room until yours is completed."

"I thought you said everything had been repaired?" I asked, curiously.

"It has!" Miriam assured. "There was simply a bit of a hiccup once the repairs were completed."

I raised an eyebrow. "Hiccup?"

"It's been repaired." she said. "It's just that it's still currently a nursery."

The laugh that escaped my throat couldn't be stifled, unable to stop thinking about how insanely close I was to replacing the Princess Diaries.

* * *

The wing of the palace that housed the royal chambers was a far walk from the throne room. Several staircases had to be climbed and corridor after corridor had to be trekked. I had secretly hoped that some kind of elevator had been installed with the renovations, but I wasn't so lucky.

My birth parents were oddly silent on the way to my temporary room. They continuously glanced between each other during our walk like there was something they weren't telling me. Miriam appeared to grow more and more upset the further we went into the castle, but tried her best to hide it from me.

The outer walls of the palace were mainly constructed of glass windows overlooking the countryside and the courtyard. Grand paintings of the Great Dragon and portraits of what I assumed to be my ancestors decorated the halls, along with the occasional piece of over-extravagant accent furniture. Every now and again we'd cross paths with one of the palace workers, but they would simply bow and carry on with their duties.

I stroked Kiko's fur as he quietly stretched out in my arms, unimpressed with our surroundings. His presence was the only familiarity I had, keeping me sane amongst the vast silence.

"Like we said," Oritel suddenly said, stopping in front of a pair of large, dark mahogany doors. "This is only temporary until we can have more appropriate furnishings brought into your actual room."

I couldn't stop my jaw from dropping once he opened the doors.

The room was bathed in shades of teal and gold, perfectly matching the dark brown stain of the wooden furniture. Across the room as a set of French-style doors with frosted glass panels that led out to a balcony overlooking the courtyard. A large four-poster bed sat against the wall to my left, draped with a heavy, tied off canopy that matched the comforter and pillows. In the center of the room, an enormous crystal and gold chandelier hung from the ceiling. My lone unpacked suitcase sat prettily next to the bed, just as I'd asked.

It was a beautiful, regal room that was certainly designed for royalty. However, as I stepped further in, the darkness inside me lurched. A heavy cloud gradually choked the air, suffocating any speck of happiness or joy.

Something awful happened in this room.

Walking up to the bed, I brushed my fingertips across the comforter, outlining the golden brocades embroidered into the silky teal fabric. Kiko leapt out of my arms and immediately crashed on one of the accent pillows, thankful to be back in bed again. I admired the beautiful color scheme, trying to ignore the dark thoughts racing through my head. The gold color was eye-catching, creating a powerful contrast.

My hand suddenly froze.

A wave of unfiltered sadness crept in behind me slowly, like a fog. This wasn't just a spare room.

Throwing my hand out towards the closet, the door immediately swung open and slammed against the wall with a loud _BANG_. My chest clenched painfully at the sight of several gold dresses hanging by the front.

 _No_.

I whirled around, dumbstruck. "Is this . . . ?"

My heart stopped, catching Miriam's eyes sparkling with unshed tears. A dark blue aura surrounded my birth parents so powerful it made the entire room glow in my eyes.

"This is your sister's room." Oritel confirmed, hanging his head. "This _was_ your sister's room."

"Daphne's room," Miriam added, sorrowfully.

Despite my older sister being the Crown Princess of Sparx, Daphne's name had barely been brought up since Sparx's return. Oritel and Miriam hadn't known that their eldest daughter was killed until they'd been freed from Obsidian. They'd spent almost two decades in their stone prisons hoping ( _believing_ ) that she was trapped there as well. They were in denial until they found her body in the remains of the palace. She had been one of many that had been uncovered once the snow and ice had vanished.

Sky had led me out of the palace before I could see her. But I heard plenty of my birth mother's wails before Musa quickly cast a noise-cancelling spell on me.

Once the official declaration of her death had been announced, and her body was burned along with the others, Daphne hadn't been mentioned again. However, it was clear that Oritel and Miriam were still grieving. Who could blame them?

Part of me was amazed my birth parents could even stand the sight of me. If Daphne hadn't given her all to save me that day, then most likely she would still be alive. Then again, if Daphne hadn't saved me, who knows what the future would've held.

"This is a princess's room." Oritel said, clearing his throat. "Therefore, this will be your room until yours is furnished."

I only nodded, unsure of what to say.

"Your welcoming party is in a few hours. And I'm sure you're exhausted from your trip." he noted, giving me a warm smile. "We'll give you some privacy."

Miriam opened her mouth, seeming to want to say more. Oritel suddenly wrapped his arm around my mother comfortingly, before leading her out of the room.

Once the door shut behind them, I was left in agonizing silence.

I felt a rush of mixed emotions. I was angry that my birth parents had actually thought it was best to put me in my deceased older sister's bedroom instead of one of the perfectly decent guest rooms. I was pensive, trying to cope with the idea that they were still in mourning. However, that thought only made me more infuriated. Did that mean that this was their way of finding a replacement for Daphne?

I shook my head, experiencing the familiar throbbing of my darkness trying to claw its way back to the surface. That should've been the last thing on my mind.

Turning to grab my suitcase off the floor, I swung it up onto the bed. Tossing a quick look over my shoulder to make sure no one had snuck in after Oritel and Miriam; I quickly unlatched it and lifted the lid open.

I swallowed hard, staring down at the burgundy coat I'd neatly folded into the suitcase. The darkness pounded in my head, growing more intense with each passing second. _His_ scent wafted through the air around me, causing my thoughts to veer away from Daphne.

With shaking hands, I grabbed the beat up leather coat in my hands and held it up in the light. Every singed edge and loosened seam met my gaze. Ever since Baltor had given it to me, these things never saw the light of day. Sometimes I would bring it out of its containment, but the coat never saw much of anything aside from moonlight and tears.

The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly prickled. Glancing down, I saw Kiko staring off into the distance, roused from his slumber by an invisible force. Despite just watching Oritel and Miriam leave me, I could feel someone's gaze resting on me. Honing in on my powers, I tried searching for the disturbance, the memories flooding into my mind slowly fading away.

Dread spread through my gut. A strong magical energy was radiating from outside the balcony. And it was _dark_ ; however, that wasn't the detail that frightened me. It was the way my Dragon Fire stirred in my chest. The energy outside was almost calling to it, like it was trying to draw me closer.

 _Don't let it be him. Don't let it be him. Don't let it be him._

Mustering up the courage, I slowly raised my gaze to look at the balcony doors. Through the frosted glass, I could make out a shadowy figure lingering outside. My fingers trembled, dropping the coat back into the suitcase.

 _Don't be ridiculous, Bloom. There's no way he could've slipped past the gates unnoticed. The protection spells at the very least would've deterred him._

My logical side chided my naïve thoughts. Baltor was one of the most powerful dark wizards to ever exist. A protection spell and a couple of guards as our defense would be child's play to him. If he wanted inside the palace, he was going to get in.

My legs shook with each step I took towards the balcony doors. I focused intently on the dark energy lingering just on the other side of the glass. The closer I got to it, the more I could tell it was definitely a person.

Deep down, I prayed it was just a guard and my darkness was simply projecting itself to trick me. But I knew I was just fooling myself.

 _Just get it over with!_

With a burst of magic, I threw the doors open to reveal the intruder.

My insides twisted.

Nothing.

The balcony was completely devoid of life.

Walking further out, I peered over the ledge. My stomach flipped as I stared down at the courtyard hundreds of feet below me, not seeing a single soul other than the guards. The wind gently tugged at my hair, feeling like fingers combing through the red strands.

Focusing back in on the dark energy I'd felt, I frowned. All traces of it had completely vanished. I felt nothing. That strong sense of power had disappeared, almost as if it had been blown away by the breeze.

I had to peel my hands off the metal railing. Forcing myself to turn away, I stared blankly back inside.

I was alone.

I didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

* * *

 _I seem to have a habit of making my second chapters long as fuck._

 _Um, this was a bit of a filler chapter, as you can clearly see. However, fillers are needed here and there no matter how much of a pain in the ass they are to write. The next chapter will be much more entertaining, hopefully. I'm not sure when I'll be updating though because the next few weeks are going to be crazy stupid, but I'm going to try my hardest to get it out as soon as I can._

 _(BTW, before you all go stir crazy and going off saying that Bloom wasn't really emoting much whenever we were discussing Daphne: we will delve into why that is, but it's a discussion for a later chapter.)_

 _Also, I know that the flashback at the beginning seemed a bit out of place. It's not. There will be several of those, and the decision to include them were very last minute, however they are extremely important. I'm very interested to see if anyone can guess why they're here._

 _And I know, I know, I'm sure you're all very disappointed that we didn't get any Baltor action yet. But don't fret. I know in Chapter 3 of Broken Pieces we had a run-in with Baltor. It's possible that history might repeat itself._

 _I'm sure there are grammatical errors but I'm exhausted. I've had a migraine for about 3 days straight, and I'm just now coming off of it I think. Please forgive me._

 _~Bloom_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

My welcoming party was, to put it lightly, overly extravagant. Oritel and Miriam had to have been planning it for days (possibly weeks) in advance in order to pull it off. The enormous tapestries with about two dozen shades of red (because apparently Sparx couldn't be normal and just pick one or _two_ of them) that hung from the towering columns surrounding the dance floor; the hundreds of attendees; the ungodly amount of food; the dumbly ironic ice sculpture of the Great Dragon. It would've been impossible to plan on such short notice. Then again, Stella's Princes Ball had been announced only two days before it was held, so I could be wrong. However, I was pretty certain royals didn't have _that_ much free time on their hands.

Over the span of two hours, I'd been forced to mingle with royals. Oritel and Miriam had presented me to counts, countesses, dukes, duchesses, princes, princesses, kings, and queens alike. Every royal from all over the Magic Dimension had come to welcome me home. Slight annoyance would tinge in my chest each time I'd encounter a royal I'd previously met. Most of them had treated me like I was nothing but wasted oxygen when Sparx was still under a sheet of ice. Now that the most powerful planet in the Magic Dimension was revived, however, suddenly I was a respected princess. Funny.

Luckily, all of my friends had received invitations and eagerly came to my aid. Stella quickly jumped at the chance to play my ear piece as I was introduced to everyone, feeding me all of the latest gossip on each lord and lady. Layla thankfully stepped in, whispering actually helpful information to me, such as their names, place of origin, and their contributions to royal society. I never thought I'd ever relate to Miranda Priestly more than then.

Once we were finally able to pull ourselves away from the other royals, we quickly escaped to the other side of the ballroom where the rest of the girls were –the boys in tow. I noticed Timmy tense when he saw me. He whispered something to Tecna, and suddenly the both of them were walking off towards the other attendees from Zenith.

"I thought we agreed to no more parties?" Musa groaned as Stella, Layla, and I approached the rest of the group.

"In my defense, this wasn't my idea." I feebly replied, feeling exhausted myself.

"Oh, grow up, Musa!" Stella chided, plucking a crystal glass of champagne off of one of the nearby waiters' trays. "We are supposed to be socially active adults, so act like it!"

Flora sighed, leaning on Helia's shoulder for emotional support as Stella began tearing into the music fairy.

"One day they may stop fighting." Helia said, a poor attempt to comfort Flora.

"And today is not that day." Nabu negated, cheerfully.

"Speaking of today, we haven't been able to ask how this morning went!" Flora said, turning to me. Her green eyes eagerly shone with desperation to block out Stella and Musa's bickering.

"It was okay." I brushed off. "Nothing exciting."

"Come on! That's all we get?" Nabu questioned, unsatisfied. "You're a girl who grew up on Earth for most of her life and now you're living in a palace with your birth parents for the first time! And it was just _okay_? Nothing has happened at all?"

I shrugged, feeling my face burn from the attention. "I mean, I don't know what else to say."

"How about you start with where you got that dress?" Stella interrupted, ditching her argument with Musa. The music fairy seemed perturbed, but rolled her eyes and continued to drink.

"What about it?"

"Bloom, I know your wardrobe by heart, and I know _that_ is definitely not in it." Stella assessed, circling me like a vulture. "It's _couture_! And it's definitely not yours."

The dress my handmaidens forced me into was surprisingly not as overbearing as I'd imagined it would be. However, it did leave me feeling much more exposed than I would've liked. It was an aqua color with a light layer of gold flecks splattered all over the fabric. The dress itself draped to the floor and was made from several layers of what I supposed was chiffon. Gold metalwork was constructed into a corset-like device around my waist, cinching the dress to form perfectly around my figure. It was also made into shoulder plates in the form of exquisite dragon heads that secured the dress at my shoulders and also allowed a translucent cape of the same aqua material to flow out behind me several feet. It was beautiful, but the neckline that down to the top of the corset made me extremely uncomfortable. I remembered the red dress Stella had originally picked out for her Princess Ball being low-cut, but this put it to shame.

"It's Daphne's." I stammered, more than uncomfortable with the subject. "It's Daphne's dress. That I got in Daphne's closet. In Daphne's bedroom. That is now _my_ bedroom. And _my_ closet. And _my_ dress."

The group went silent, seeming to take on my discomfort as well.

"Well, that's certainly . . ." Layla trailed off. Her brow furrowed, desperately trying to find the right word. She hurriedly glanced over at Nabu, looking for support, but he just shook his head, not wanting to get involved.

"Disturbing." Musa finished for her, point blank.

"I'm not going to lie. That's kind of fucked." Riven added, taking a drink.

Flora immediately began chiding the duo, but I paid no attention to it. My thoughts had begun to travel back a few hours prior, recalling seeing myself in the dress for the first time. I was already uncomfortable enough with the plunging neckline and thin fabric; but knowing it was Daphne's dress made my stomach crawl up into my throat. There I was standing in my deceased sister's gown while my ladies maids showered me with compliments and jewelry. Everything about it just felt wrong.

"No, I think _fucked_ sums it up." I said, disrupting Flora's mothering.

She gave me a disapproving look, but didn't correct me.

"On the bright side," Stella interjected. "At least your sis had fab fashion taste."

I knew she was hiding it, but I could tell Stella was distracted. Even while she was draped all over Brandon, her attention was elsewhere. She almost appeared impatient, sighing and muttering nearly inaudible comments (some along the lines of "punctual my ass").

Brandon seemed off his game, as well, however the reason for his behavior shift was obvious. Usually the smooth talking jock would be mingling with anyone and everyone, unafraid to speak his mind. Tonight, the brown-haired specialist was practically shaking in his boots. Across the ballroom, I saw the normally warm eyes of King Radius of Solaria glaring the sharpest of daggers into the back of Brandon's head. Unfathomable anger was rife in his stiff expression, ready to kill the boy for simply standing next to his daughter.

From what Stella had told me, Radius had yet to warm up to Brandon. Even after his graduation from Red Fountain and Sky granting him a knighthood, the King's opinion never changed. I was sympathetic towards Brandon. Everyone could see how hard he was trying to gain Radius's approval, but we all knew that nothing would truly be good enough.

"Hey, is everything okay?" I asked Stella as soon as Musa rambled on about something else she hated about the party.

Continuing to glance over the guests, Stella nodded. "Yep. Everything's fine. Fine and dandy." she replied, forcing a laugh through clenched teeth.

I frowned, my concern intensifying. "Stel, you can tell me. Is it your dad?"

That seemed to snap her out of it, but only for a brief moment. Her eyes widened, bewildered by my question. "What? No!" she denied with a scoff. "No, my father is the least of my worries right now."

"Easy for you to say!" Brandon told her under his breath.

The blonde rolled her eyes.

"Then what's up?" I inquired. "You've been acting really strange all night."

"Nothing! I'm fine!" she insisted, uttering a nervous giggle. Concentrating on her aura, I noticed a faint red glow surrounding her. She must've noticed me staring, suddenly plastering a wide grin on her face.

"Stel –"

"Oh, look, Schnookums!" she exclaimed, cutting me off and motioning to the other side of the room. "We have to go over there! I think I just saw Nova talking with Princess Narcissia!"

Before Brandon could process her words, she grabbed his arm and began dragging him across the ballroom. Barely a few seconds had passed and they were suddenly gone from sight. I remained standing there, befuddled. Looking over at the others for an explanation, all I received were shrugs and Musa muttering _crazy_.

"I think it's time we took our turn on the dance floor." Nabu suddenly interjected, reaching for Layla's hand. The two were gone before I could blink.

"Dancing sounds great!" Flora agreed. "Helia?"

"It'd be my honor to dance with you." he replied, smiling sweetly at her.

My gaze shifted to the only remaining couple standing with me as Flora and Helia strolled away. "Are you all going to ditch me, too?"

Musa downed the rest of her drink and nodded. "If you thought we weren't going to ditch, you clearly don't know us."

And with that, I was abandoned to my own defenses. I stayed in my own little corner of the ballroom, watching my friends enjoy themselves from afar.

All of the girls had been busy with their own lives after Sparx was restored. Layla was off on Tides with Nabu, helping her parents settle a rather nasty feud between her uncle and her snobbish, entitled cousin, both of which were merfolk, apparently ( _that_ struck a conversation). Musa had gone back to Melody and joined a group of other musically inclined fairies, like Galatea, who were trying to forge a spell that could potentially give people with hearing disabilities the power to hear again. Tecna and Timmy joined Musa, as well, trying to lend their tech minds to the cause. Flora and Helia had found a way to combine her aeromagictherapy lessons with his art to enlighten the younger generations on Linphea. Then, of course, there were Stella's endless preparations for her eventual ascension to the throne, along with trying to convince Radius to let her be with Brandon. I was genuinely surprised that all of them were able to take time out of their erratic schedules to come to the party. Thinking about it made the moment more bittersweet, knowing that the more time passed, the more unlikely we'd all be able to get together like this.

"Ahem."

Hearing the voice off to my right, I turned to face it. A tall blonde man stood a few feet away, watching me with soft blue eyes. The faintest hint of a beard shadowed his tanned face, perfectly displaying his impressive smile. I couldn't help but notice the golden crown perched on the top of his head. A stunning red gem decorated the front, matching the ruby waistcoat under his pristine white jacket.

"Princess," he greeted, dramatically bowing as low as he could.

I bit back my smile, returning the formality with a curtsey so over-done I nearly fell over. "Your Highness." I replied, straightening back up. "I'd heard the King of Eraklyon had been invited, but I wasn't sure if he would actually show."

"Of course I came." Sky said, walking over to stand beside me. "I wouldn't miss the grand welcoming party of the Princess of Sparx."

"I wouldn't stand too close to me. The press will have a field day if they see us together. I can already see the infidelity headlines."

He shrugged. "Let them talk. The press is the last thing on my mind."

I raised an eyebrow. "Even though your wife –who wants me dead– would see said headlines?"

Sky chuckled. "Despite popular belief, Diaspro does not want you dead."

I found his statement hard to believe. Everyone who knew the newly named Queen of Eraklyon knew that she wouldn't mind having my head on a silver platter. "So, where is Diaspro tonight? Is she hiding somewhere in the rafters waiting for the perfect time to strike?"

"No Diaspro tonight." he insisted, shaking his head. "She hasn't been feeling too well."

"Oh?" I waggled my eyebrows.

"Maybe _oh_ ," he replied, laughing at my implication.

"Brandon said you only arrived this morning?" Sky mentioned, curiously. "That must've been a culture shock for you."

I laughed, recalling my introduction to my handmaidens. "Yeah, it's certainly been a _different_ experience. It's definitely not Earth girl life."

Sky chuckled. "Don't stress out about it too much. Once you get adjusted to palace life you'll do great."

I rolled my eyes. "Ugh. Your optimism is nauseating." I remarked, jokingly.

"How's life as King of Eraklyon been treating you?" I inquired after a few moments of silence.

"It's a big change." Sky admitted, twirling me. "Luckily I have Dad there for guidance. I never realized how many responsibilities he had until now. Being a king and being a prince are two very different jobs.

"So, how's your top-secret mission going?"

I furrowed my brow. "Mission?"

"You know," he said. "Breaking the curse on your secret new guy?"

My eyes widened. I'd nearly forgotten about our conversation on our trip to the Omega Dimension to save the others. I was still in awe of myself that I'd actually confided in Sky about my whatever-it-was with Baltor. No, I never told him who I was really talking about; however, releasing all of my pent up emotions and frustrations to Sky that day had felt great. I hadn't had to worry about any sort of judgment, which for me was a rarity. Unfortunately for me though, that moment of confidence had now come back to bite me in the ass.

"Oh, right, _that_ mission." I said, fumbling with my words. "The curse is certified broken."

"Congratulations!" Sky shouted, appearing genuinely surprised. "Does that mean things between the two of you are alright, then?"

My stomach lurched. Swallowing hard, I forced myself to nod. "It's fine." I choked out, quietly.

His gaze softened. Taking a quick look around the ballroom, he suddenly pulled me off to the side, ducking behind one of the columns. "Bloom, I know about you and Baltor."

I paused. "Sky, what are you talking about?"

"Bloom, it's okay." he assured me, catching the fear in my eyes. "I've known for a while."

A groan tore from my throat, remembering how unimpressed Stella had been when I'd told her. "Were we _that_ obvious?"

Sky laughed. "I think anyone with a pair of eyes could see Baltor was into you, Bloom. From what Riven always said, Baltor could never keep his eyes off you –especially in your Enchantix dress."

I ducked my head a bit, feeling my cheeks burn. "How long have you known about us?"

"Since Stella's Princess Ball."

" _What_?"

"It doesn't matter." he disregarded. "I'm glad. I'm glad you found someone." His pleasant smile then fell. "And I'm sorry that you had to be the one to kill him. I know that couldn't have been easy for you. When I saw you in the hospital, I should've told you that I knew, but I thought that might only make it worse for you. You shouldn't have had to deal with that all on your own."

I blinked hard, trying to fight back the tears threatening to fall. My throat constricted when I opened my mouth to speak. Instead, I simply nodded. Telling Sky about the situation with Baltor was something I debated. However, the fewer people knew about Baltor's survival the better.

"If you ever need to talk about it, you can always call me and I'll be there." he said. "It may take me a day or two with how awful my schedule is these days, but I _will_ be there."

Still too scared to speak, I threw my arms around him in a tight hug. He quickly returned it, giving me a gentle squeeze. It wasn't until then that I realized it was the first real kind of physical contact we'd had since our break up. But this wasn't a romantic gesture. It was just friendly.

"Well, I think we've hidden away long enough to give the press a decent story." Sky joked, pulling back. "Besides, I should go check on Brandon and save him from Radius's glare."

I finally regained my voice, mustering up a laugh. "I don't think _anyone_ can be saved from Radius's glare."

Stepping back out from behind the column, he acknowledged me with a polite bow. "It was good to see you again, Bloom."

Giving him a short curtsey, I smiled. "It's good to see you, too, Sky."

Shooting me a toothy grin, he rounded the column. I watched his golden head of hair vanish into the crowd, disappearing completely from my view. And suddenly, I was alone again.

"Why is it I always find you on the outskirts of parties?"

The voice that cut into my solitude made my eyes widen.

A million emotions hit me at once. My throat cinched shut, barely allowing me to breathe. Turning my head to the next pillar, the universe slowed down before me. And the moment I saw his grey eyes, my world imploded.

To say that I almost didn't recognize the man that stepped into view was an understatement. His usual Victorian garb had been shed. In their place were very expensive looking regal garments. It was odd to see him in anything other than his typical burgundy coat; however, despite the almost princely attire, he kept his signature color. If his goal had been attempting to blend in with the crowd, he'd done a rather poor job of it. Aside from his clothes, everything about him was exactly the same.

Each step he took as he approached me radiated the over-confidence he'd always had. Forcing my heart rate to slow down, I tried to stop my cheeks from flushing as he took my hand and gently kissed it. I didn't want Baltor to gain any satisfaction from seeing that his presence had unfortunately affected me. Although, the smirk plastered on his face told me I'd already lost that battle.

"How did you get in here?" I asked, yanking my hand out of his grasp. My voice trembled. I whipped my head around to see if anyone had noticed his arrival. To my disbelief, everyone acted as if Baltor walking into the Sparx palace was a common occurrence. The only logical solution my mind could conjure up was the idea that he must've cast several illusion spells on his self.

"You know, you should really speak with your parents about employing more alert guards." Baltor remarked. "They truly will just let _anyone_ in here."

I frowned, feeling my Dragon Fire furiously bubble up inside my chest. "You need to leave."

He _tsk_ ed disapprovingly. "That I simply cannot do. It would be terribly rude of me to leave these festivities before the night ended."

"It can't be rude to leave when you weren't invited!" I hissed.

Baltor smirked, deviously. Suddenly, a familiar looking card appeared in his ungloved hand. His smirk only widened as he held it up for me to see. "Oh, but I _was_ invited."

 _There was no way in hell . . ._

Ripping the card from his grasp, my eyes viciously scanned over the words. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as I read that he'd somehow been 'cordially invited' to my welcoming party.

Turning my attention back to the wizard, I shot him a dark glare. "Magicking up an invitation doesn't make you invited."

Baltor held a hand to his chest, feigning a hurt expression. "I'm offended, Princess! I would _never_ go so low as to craft an invitation on the spot. I'm nothing but an honest man."

I couldn't help the harsh laugh that slipped out. "That's rich coming from _you_."

Baltor frowned, catching my maliciousness.

"So, if you claim that you didn't pull this out of thin air, who invited you?" I asked, more than eager to move on. "I'm fairly certain that if everyone knew you were alive, my parents would've marked you in the top spot on the Do Not Invite list."

His devilish smile instantly reappeared. "You should ask your Solarian friend. She was more than eager to acquire an invitation for me to attend tonight."

My eyebrows knitted together in total confusion. How could she have even found Baltor to begin with? Every time I'd ever tried to search for him, I'd reach a dead end. With my connection, I would've had the advantage. He had to be lying.

Although, that would've explained her odd behavior tonight.

I glared daggers over at Stella, ready to throw myself across the ballroom to kill her. Once the blonde noticed I was looking at her, she shot me a polite little wave and a thumbs-up before promptly returning to her conversation with Brandon.

"She's a rather adept persuader." Baltor added, grabbing my gaze once more. "Not to mention, _aggressive_."

"I don't care if Stella invited you just to piss me off." I told Baltor, firmly. Using a quick fire spell, I turned the invitation to ash in my hand and let it fall to the floor. My jaw was beginning to ache from how tight my teeth were clenched. "You need to leave."

"Bloom, I know you don't want to talk to me. But, despite your stubbornness, we need to talk–"

"You _had_ your chance to talk!" I snapped. A chill crawled through my veins, feeling my hands begin to shake uncontrollably. Blackness sluggishly clawed its way into the edges of my vision, leaving the rest of the room nothing but a void of nothingness. "You had your chance to talk and be honest with me on Linphea, but _no_! You screwed that up by choosing to try and feed me some bullshit lies! And what? Now you just want to walk back into my life and act like you're here to be sincere? To act like everything on Linphea never happened? Like you didn't tear my heart into a thousand broken pieces? Screw you! And screw that!"

My cheeks burned furiously. The raw rage inside me constricted my chest, making me feel like I was about to burst. Tears painfully stung my eyes, realizing my outburst. A bud of guilt sprouted in my chest, catching a glint of regret in his eyes, but the darkness swirling in my head quickly drowned it out.

My vision began to correct itself, returning me to the lively ballroom. A whispering thought in my head reminded me that I shouldn't be causing such a scene. For a moment, I had genuinely forgotten that we were at the party.

 _A scene is exactly what you want_ , a taunting voice whispered in the darkest recesses of my brain. _Let Oritel and Miriam take care of him. Let him face the punishment he deserves._

Feeling a tear begin to slip down my cheek, I quickly reached up to swipe it away. "Just go." I murmured.

So many conflicting emotions rose in my chest as I stormed away from him. Part of me was a firm believer of my actions. Regardless of how recklessly I had let myself be by allowing my darkness to briefly take over, I'd said my piece. After all this time, I'd finally told him how I felt. I wanted him to hurt as much as he'd hurt me. And even though that slight outburst didn't compare at all to what he'd done, I'd still managed to feel some satisfaction by rejecting him of the chance to speak.

Yet, the other half of me was already drowning in a river of regret. For so long, I'd secretly hoped he would return. Every day while we fought to save Sparx, my mind would dare to wonder and dream of him reappearing. My heart would race at any slight shadow in the corner of my eye, longing for a simple sign that he wasn't gone forever. Sleep didn't provide much of an escape from him either. The strong desire to have him back in my life haunted my dreams and even my nightmares.

My steps started to slow. I thought about turning around.

 _Plan of attack?_

 _I'm not angry. I'm_ pissed _._

 _I've been alone for a month trying to figure out how to convince myself that you actually were dead!_

 _Please, just get out!_

Numbness bled through my body. I knew it was _her_ trying to creep her way back in. She was quick to take advantage of my addled state, more than ready to dreg up the memories I hated so much.

Baltor's presence suddenly overwhelmed me. His hand encircled my arm and he dragged me to the other side of the ballroom. We earned a few disgruntled looks as Baltor practically hauled me through the crowd, yet no one said a word to us when we passed.

Once we returned to the familiar edges of the ballroom, he pushed me hard up against the wall. I tore my gaze from side to side, waiting for someone to notice, but still no one paid us any mind. No one seemed to see us at all. Concluding that he had apparently thrown up some kind of invisibility spell on us, I only thrashed harder.

"I am aware that you don't want to talk to me!" he snapped furiously, struggling to keep me still. "However, I am also aware that if you keep this charade up you're going to have a very unwanted guest show up. Therefore, I suggest you calm down before _she_ shows up!"

The Darkness inside me was enraged that he dared to acknowledge her. The dangerous thoughts that were then pulsed into my head felt like stabbing knives. Each one hurt worse and worse, gradually becoming more sinister. Only a few seconds had passed before the same black edges began to distort my vision.

I heard Baltor curse something under his breath, before quickly reaching into his pocket. When he withdrew it, he immediately slammed it back on my wrist. The small click I heard pierce through my ringing ears made me freeze.

"Did you just _handcuff_ me?" I sputtered out, feeling the rage begin to peak.

"The thought did cross my mind." Baltor replied. "However, I think you'll enjoy this more."

Lowering his hand to my forearm, he revealed a black leather cuff that was not locked around my wrist. A clear gem was embedded in the fabric with two silver dragons circling it. It was pretty, but I still had no idea what it was for.

In the blink on an eye, magic surged through my body. The pain throbbing in my head vanished into nothing. All the traces of ferocity bubbling in my chest ebbed away. The Darkness that had lingered inside me for so long faded out of existence. And finally, the snarling voice echoing in my mind was shut off. For the first time in forever, I felt like the girl I had been before Shadow Haunt. I felt . . . _normal._

Well, as normal as it could get for me.

I noticed the gem in the cuff had darkened, giving off a purplish glow. A tiny bud of hope sprouted in my chest. It wasn't possible.

"Unfortunately, it's only temporary." Baltor confirmed, slowly allowing his hands to come to a rest just below my shoulders. "It's far from perfected. You may still hear her every once in a while. However, it'll at least give you a few days to settle in without having to worry about her too much."

A gentle squeeze consumed my heart. "How did you –?"

"Don't worry yourself with the details right now." he interrupted. "We don't have much time before someone notices you're missing."

My curiosity was raging, but I complied, remembering the real reason why he'd dragged me away from my party. "I still don't want to talk to you." I said, gritting my teeth.

Bending his head down, he got dangerously close to me. "You don't have to talk. You only need to listen." he growled, inches away from my face.

"Bite. Me." I hissed back.

A teasing smirk pulled at his lips. "It'd be my pleasure, princess."

I rolled my eyes. "You're disgus –"

My breath suddenly caught in my throat. His hand slid up onto my stomach, pushing me firmly against the wall. The warmth of his fingertips easily radiated through the thin fabric of my dress. It was like the dress wasn't there anymore. I'd nearly forgotten what it was like to have him touch me like _that_ again. I couldn't help the flood of thoughts that entered my head then, reminding me of our night at Cloud Tower. The way his fingers had touched me then, how they had slipped under my shirt to explore the same skin he was caressing now. And after, deciding to go _lower_ . . .

His breath dancing over my lips pulled me out of the memory. Flicking my gaze over him, I noticed he was practically pressed up against me. The only thing keeping us apart was his hand. Yet once my eyes traveled back to his face, my attention couldn't be torn away from how close his lips were to mine.

"Now listen," he murmured. "You have every right to be angry with me. I'm not saying that you're wrong. However, if we keep up this ridiculous game you're playing, you're never going to get what you want."

"Tell me, then." I said, distractedly. "What is it you think I _want_?"

The smirk that appeared on his face made my heart flutter. "To know where I was. And why I did what I did."

I felt my heart skip a beat.

 _No. Don't fall for it, you idiot. He's toying with you. He's not actually going to tell you. He knows that's what you want; he's taking advantage of you._

Ignoring the voice as best I could, I finally let our eyes meet. He was staring intently back at me, his grey irises darkened by the shadows.

"But, the answers you desire aren't particularly easy to explain in public." Baltor continued. "We'll need to talk somewhere much more private than your welcoming ball. There's a manor on the outskirts of Dragonswood. It's not that far from the main city. I'm sure you passed through there on your way to the palace, yes?"

I nodded.

"Good." Briefly, I saw his eyes flash with hesitation. "When you're ready, that's where I'll be."

A dark chill spread through my veins as his fingers dared to slowly travel upward towards my chest. My skin tingled, still so unused to him touching me. Fear coursed through my heart, sensing my skin tingle for an entirely different reason. I immediately grabbed his wrist to prevent him from exploring further just as a sparkle of magic caught my eye.

Baltor's gaze immediately intensified. A piece of me tried to convince myself that he hadn't seen it; that the shadows were playing tricks on me and they were making it seem like Baltor had noticed.

"Should I ask why you're using glamour magic?" Baltor asked, settling his hand on my waist. I bit my lip, hearing the edge of concern in his voice. "Or should I ask who you're using it on?"

"I should go." I whispered out, desperate to avoid the topic. "My parents will be looking for me."

"Bloom –"

"Thank you for the cuff."

I could tell he wanted to push me for more information. His fingers had protectively tightened around my waist; ready to attack whoever he thought might be trying to hurt me. But it was pointless to try and find them. He was already holding me.

This time he didn't stop me when I pulled away from him.

* * *

 _Originally, there was a lot of 'fucks' in Bloom's rant, but then I realized that that was way too OOC for her, unfortunately enough for me, who likes to say fuck a lot._

 _It's been literally like 5 months, and I deeply apologize for that. It's been kind of crazy, and I'd rather not get too into it because it's a very complicated story. But, I'm here now! And with an update! It's probably not a great update, but it's an update nonetheless! Hopefully the next one won't take too long to write, but then again, with my attention span, it probably will._

 _I'd also like to thank OG fic writer Zadien for helping me get back on my writing feet. I was stuck in a rut with this chapter, but she gave me some pretty good advice that finally got me inspired again! So thank you Zadien! And also a huge thank you to my best friend emberfire411 who bestowed upon me the greatest of gifts -a line that I couldn't word correctly. You're a godsend._

 _In the next chapter, we won't see Baltor at all. But we will get some more BFF time and bring back some good ol' memories from season 1!_

 _This chapter mentally exhausted me to finish, so I'm going to go work on something else now. As always, if there are any grammatical errors, I do apologize. I'll try to fix them once looking at this chapter doesn't make me tired._

 _~Bloom_


End file.
